Like a Good Preschool Mother, I have offered my services for an upcoming bake sale.
Hmmm. What do I make? I would totally do the pumpkin brownie thing, but I don’t think the consistency will hold up well. (They want the items in plastic bags tied up with ribbons.)
Do you have an absolutely fantastic recipe for cookies, brownies or bars? Please help, as I desperately want the school moms and teachers to liiiiiiiike meeeeeeeee.
(Especially since Wito had a little accident involving poop remnants at school yesterday. Which was beyond mortifying. THE SITUATION IS DIRE, YO.)
rb
October 7, 2009 at 3:59 pmI second the nomination of Alton Brown’s chewy choco chips and also nominate the Baker’s One Bowl Brownie recipe, which is written somewhere on the package of every package of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate. Sometimes I get all fancy and substitute Scharffen Berger baking chocolate (but still using the Baker’s recipe) but most often, I just use Baker’s and it’s really, really good. People go nuts. Seriously.
Emily
October 7, 2009 at 4:13 pmI have had luck at bake sales/bakeoffs/etc whenever I make something savory. Most folks bring incredibly rich, dense sweet desserts, but not everyone has a sweet tooth. Plus, you get lots of cred for being creative. Some good recipes:
Deb’s cheese straws: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/cheese-straws/
Alton Brown’s pretzels: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-hard-pretzels-recipe/index.html (the soft ones are even better but they don’t keep as well)
Or, to split the salty/sweet difference, David Lebovitz’s Chocolate-Caramelized Matzoh Crunch: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/01/chocolatecovere.html
Becca
October 7, 2009 at 4:34 pmI recommend Bakerella’s Cake Balls…weird name, AMAZING taste. If these don’t make the cut for the bake sale, try them some other time. They are a little time intensive, but Holy Cow are they worth every second! C’mon, you know you want to tell everyone at Wito’s school that you made Cale Balls!
http://www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites/cake-balls/
Becca
October 7, 2009 at 4:35 pmGrrr, you want to tell them you made Cake Balls, not Cale Balls!
superblondgirl
October 7, 2009 at 6:12 pmThese are pretty much the best thing ever, baking-wise – I make them for Xmas and they go FAST:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Shortbread-Squares/Detail.aspx
They’re pretty easy and taste like fancy homemade Twix, and you can cut them up small and bag them easily.
These are good, too (another Xmas recipe) – easy but the poppyseeds and jam add a nice twist that even my very, very picky husband liked:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cherry-Poppyseed-Twinks/Detail.aspx
janet
October 7, 2009 at 8:03 pmcheck out bakerella’s site. she has pumpkin pie bites that are so simple to make!!
Michelle
October 7, 2009 at 8:43 pmI know there are a zillion responses before mine, but seriously, MAKE THESE. They are easy, adorable, yummy, and did I mention adorable? They’re essentially mini peanut butter cups pressed into peanut butter cookies. Soooooo goooood. And the thing that takes the longest? Is unwrapping the peanut butter cups.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Peanut-Butter-Cup-Cookies-Tarts-113299
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Math: Weeding out the Crazies =-.
tera Stephens
October 7, 2009 at 10:53 pmlet me clue u in from a seasoned bake sale mom…
after slaving over ina’s carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and then being told i had to bag them, i was horrified to see the mess of what was a gorgeous cupcake being passed over many times at the last bake sale i took part in. last is the key word here. don’t try to impress, most of these morons won’t recognize your efforts anyway.
bitter?
yes.
Rebecca
October 8, 2009 at 5:05 amOatmeal Scotchies Bars… the recipe is on the back of the Nestle Butterscotch chips, they are delicious and make a HUGE panful.
Just wanted to thank you for this post because I now have a million yummy recipes bookmarked!
And glad to see everyone loves Smitten Kitchen and Bakerella as much as I do!
Tracy H
October 8, 2009 at 8:30 amSaltine Toffee Cookies aka “Crack” are so easy & yummy!
Here is the recipe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Saltine-Toffee-Cookies/Detail.aspx
They call them “crack” because you have to crack them up to serve them and because they are addicting and you can’t stop eating them! Even if you don’t use this recipe for the bake sale, I recommend trying it sometime.
Shannon Warren
October 8, 2009 at 11:35 am“Damn Woman No Wonder We’re Fat” Brownies (Paula Deen)
Get a brownie mix for a 13×9 pan. Also get 3 GIANT Hershey bars.(with or without almonds…as you wish)
Make the brownie mix.
Pour half of it in the pan.
Unwrap the candy bars and sink them in the mix.
Cover with the other half of the mix.
Bake as directed, let cool before cutting.
Cool.
Change the name.
Eat and die of the deliciousness.
Steph
October 8, 2009 at 1:10 pmI agree with the Best, Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Cookie Recipe… http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx
EVERYONE loves a chocolate chip cookie. These are so delicious, and the right size to eat just one ;)
I do recommend using about at least a half cup less chocolate chips, 1 1/2c. is plenty.
I was actually planning on making these before I saw your post. But this just seals the deal. To the kitchen, I go.
.-= Steph´s last blog ..Maybe I meant 2009 instead of 2008 =-.
heather
October 8, 2009 at 1:49 pmwhy dont you make the salted caramels that nothing but bonfires made for her wedding….they are yummy and easy and package nicely….
Trinity Tibe
October 8, 2009 at 2:31 pmThey might be too sexy for a school bake sale, but these Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles are badass.
Rachelino
October 8, 2009 at 3:11 pmOkay, Whoorl. You are going to have tell us what you baked after the sale is over.
.-= Rachelino´s last blog ..Flo Braker’s Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe – Update =-.